About the project
About DigiSAFE
An Erasmus+ small-scale partnership co-funded by the European Union, helping adults aged 45 and over in Italy, Spain and Slovakia stay safe in an increasingly digital world.
Who we are
Bridging the digital divide, safely
DigiSAFE — Empowering Adults: Digital Safety and Fraud Prevention in the Age of Technology — addresses the urgent need to bridge the digital divide among adults aged 45 and older. As technology advances, limited digital literacy leads to social isolation, higher vulnerability to online fraud and restricted access to essential services. The rise of artificial intelligence introduces new risks, from AI-generated scams to misinformation.
The project aligns with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027, which emphasise digital upskilling, inclusive access to technology and the reduction of digital inequalities — particularly for disadvantaged adults. By strengthening digital skills and safety, DigiSAFE fosters lifelong learning, active citizenship and digital confidence.
The project at a glance
- Programme: Erasmus+, Key Action 2
- Action: Small-scale Partnership in Adult Education (KA210-ADU)
- Project number: 2025-1-IT02-KA210-ADU-000359787
- Duration: 1 September 2025 – 31 August 2027 (24 months)
- EU grant: €60,000 (lump sum)
- National Agency: IT02 — Agenzia Nazionale Erasmus+ INDIRE (Italy)
- Partnership: AISEC (IT, coordinator), Asociación UNO (ES), IKReON (SK)
Our objectives
What we set out to achieve
Co-create a curriculum
Develop a curriculum of innovative non-formal education activities and workshops for educators on how to teach digital safety to adults over 45.
Test it internationally
Run a 5-day International Pilot in Slovakia, bringing together adults 45+ and trainers to test and improve the curriculum through interactive methodologies.
Build a free Toolkit
Create the Digital Fraud Prevention Toolkit with the “Most Critical Topics”, theory, practical workshops, a self-assessment test and 10 short videos per language (IT, ES, SK) with English subtitles.
Run digiSAFE Week
Organise a digiSAFE Week in each partner country with local workshops, engaging at least 45 participants in total across all locations.
Raise awareness
Raise awareness among adults 45+ about the risks of digital fraud — including phishing, AI-generated scams, deepfakes and misinformation.
Promote active citizenship
Encourage adults 45+ to navigate digital spaces with confidence and vigilance — participating fully, and safely, in online life.
Erasmus+ priorities we address
- Horizontal: Addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity
- Adult education: Improving the competences of educators and other adult learning and guidance staff
- Adult education: Enhancing quality assurance in adult education opportunities
Topics we work on
- Digital safety and data protection
- Digital literacy skills and competences
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data usage
0%
of people aged 65-74 in Italy who use the internet have at least basic digital skills (ISTAT, 2023)
0%
of seniors aged 65-74 in Slovakia have basic digital skills – less than half the EU average of 24% (European Commission, 2024)
0%
of surveyed adults 45+ in Slovakia are barely or not at all aware of AI-generated scams such as deepfakes or voice cloning (digiSAFE survey, 2026)
Direct target group
Adults 45+
Adults with low or moderate digital skills who are at risk of online scams, phishing and financial fraud.
Direct target group
Project partners
Staff of the three organisations, who strengthen their digital education competences through training, curriculum development and toolkit creation.
Indirect target group
Educators
Educators working with adults 45+ who need specialised resources, non-formal education tools and updated methodologies.
Indirect target group
NGOs & communities
Community organisations and NGOs supporting older adults, who gain access to the project’s reports, curriculum and toolkit.
Our approach
Learning that meets people where they are
DigiSAFE is built on non-formal education: scenario-based learning, real-life fraud cases and peer-to-peer skills exchange. Instead of abstract theory, participants practise spotting phishing messages, checking whether a website is secure and recognising AI-generated content — at a comfortable pace, with room for questions.
This hands-on style is exactly what our research found works best for adults 45+, who often learn more from practical, experience-based methods than from formal instruction.
Project timeline
Two years, step by step
September 2025
Project launch & needs assessment
The project starts. Each partner researches the state of digital fraud, existing regulations and best practices in digital education for adults 45+ in Italy, Spain and Slovakia. The Kick-off Meeting is hosted by AISEC in Viterbo.
April 2026
Curriculum completed
The co-created non-formal education curriculum is finalised, covering topics such as staying safe online, recognising and reporting phishing, detecting fake images and deepfake videos, and recognising chatbot-generated texts.
November 2026
International Pilot — Ružomberok, Slovakia
A 5-day training hosted by IKReON brings together 16 participants — adults 45+ and trainers from all three countries — to test the curriculum through scenario-based learning, problem-based learning and peer-to-peer digital skills exchange.
December 2026 – August 2027
Digital Fraud Prevention Toolkit
The Toolkit is developed and published — free to download from this website in English, Italian, Spanish and Slovak, with 30 short videos and a self-assessment questionnaire.
2027
digiSAFE Week in Italy, Spain & Slovakia
Local awareness-raising workshops in each partner country help adults 45+ identify AI-generated images, recognise fraudulent messages and secure their accounts.
August 2027
Final Evaluation Meeting — Valencia
The partnership meets in Valencia, hosted by Asociación UNO, to evaluate results and plan the long-term use of the project’s outputs. The project ends on 31 August 2027 — but the Toolkit stays online for at least five more years.
Across three countries
A shared European challenge
Our research in Italy, Spain and Slovakia revealed the same pattern everywhere: adults 45+ are active online, yet far less prepared for digital safety — especially for AI-driven scams. By working across borders, the partners exchange best practices and build tools that work in every national context.
Accountability
How we measure success
1,000+
website visitors during the project lifetime
100+
downloads of the Digital Fraud Prevention Toolkit
45+
direct participants in local workshops — aiming for 150
90%
satisfaction target for the 16 International Pilot participants
See the project in action
Explore the results we are building, or meet the three organisations behind DigiSAFE.